Lucas' Problem
by Sawyer's Peace
Summary: Lucas comes to Captain Bridger with a problem. Father/son


Captain Nathan Bridger sat at the desk in his quarters on the UEO submarine, SeaQuest, doing dreaded administrative duties. He'd banned himself to his quarters specifically for this reason. He'd been so easily side-tracked recently and felt it prudent to ground himself to his quarters to avoid any more distractions. Things had been hectic with all the scientific projects they had been managing. It wasn't that Nathan didn't enjoy that aspect of SeaQuest; in fact, if truth be known, it was his favourite facet of life on the vessel. SeaQuest was instrumental in keeping the oceans safe for everyone, animal and human alike. It was the military paperwork he detested most. Removing his glasses, Nathan rubbed his eyes and groaned at his own lack of focus. He'd promised the Admiral that he would submit his paperwork on time this month. He really had no reasonable excuse not to this time around, other than just being sick of the sheer amounts of it. It served him right, if he was to be painfully honest with himself. He just chose to do everything else until the work piled up and became overwhelming. He continually put it off because, simply put, it bored him silly. And for some reason today, he felt annoyed by it as well. A brisk knock at his door rescued him from the paperwork and his thoughts, much to his relief.

"Enter," he said.

Nathan smiled when he saw a certain blonde-haired teenager peek his head around the door.

"May I come in, Captain?"

"Of course, Lucas." Nathan set down his pen as he stretched out the knots in his back and arms. He was always glad to see his youngest crew member but most especially right now. Lucas was the perfect reason to take a break. "Something the matter, kiddo?"

The teen boy entered the cabin with a shrug and closed the door. He leaned against the wall circumspectly and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Nathan smiled inwardly. He'd known the boy for awhile now, and he'd begun to be able to read him pretty well. Something was troubling the boy. The question was what. Had he come to confess his latest misdeed? The kid had a knack for finding trouble. Or rather trouble seemed to discover him. Nathan wasn't sure which was more accurate.

"I dunno," came the quiet reply.

Nathan smiled. "Well, if you don't know what's wrong, I'm fairly sure I don't either."

Lucas smirked slightly. "Uh, well, do you mind if I just, like, hang out here a bit?"

Nathan scrubbed a hand over his scruffy five o'clock-shadowed face. He had an open-door policy when it came to Lucas. He thought Lucas knew that already. Nathan never minded when the boy crashed in his cabin and hung out, as he called it. He enjoyed the boy's company for the most part. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he'd not wanted the boy around. And it usually involved a certain, pretty auburn-haired doctor that he had recently become infatuated with. Lucas tended to put a damper on the romance aspect of their relationship. Nathan felt his face flush somewhat and he filed the thoughts away for later while forcing himself to focus on his young charge.

"Certainly, Lucas. You're welcome to hang out here for as long as you like." Nathan picked up a file folder and grimaced. "Perhaps you'd like to do my paperwork for me too?" He made his face look wistful. He was rewarded with the lopsided grin he loved so much.

"Sorry, Captain. I don't think Admiral Noyce would want my opinion on stuff."

"Well, it was worth a try." Nathan smirked. "I'm not always convinced he wants my opinion either. I keep expecting him to return my reports all marked up in red pen." Nathan winked at Lucas, who chuckled. Nathan was glad to see the boy become more relaxed and sit down on the sofa.

Lucas flopped back and heaved a heavy sigh. Nathan looked at him inquisitively but kept quiet. The one thing he had learned about the boy over the past few months was that Lucas Wolenczak needed to come to him with things under his own steam. Nathan could not force the kid to talk about anything he didn't want to, no matter how much he wished he could. With an inward groan, Nathan replaced his glasses and returned his attention back to the work in front of him. He wasn't sure how much time passed before he remembered that Lucas was still hanging out in his quarters. He looked up over his glasses to see the boy lying on his sofa looking glum, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't normal for the teenager to just sit still staring into space. Lucas was always in perpetual motion unless he was glued to some kind of video game on the internet and even then he was fidgety.

Nathan pushed back his chair, getting up and stretching. "Well, are you going to spill the beans or what?"

Lucas looked startled. "Sir?"

"Lucas, you looked like you've lost your best friend. Are you going to tell me what's eating at you, or are you just going to continue looking miserable? You're depressing me." Nathan rubbed the back of his neck with a small smirk and walked towards his mini-fridge to grab a cold drink. "You want something?"

"Got any iced tea?"

Nathan nodded, grabbed two cans of iced tea and handed one to Lucas. He sat down in his favourite chair and opened the can, taking a long, satisfying swig of the sweet tea. He reached out and tapped Lucas on the knee kindly.

"So, spill it, kiddo."

Lucas sighed again and shook his head. "It's nothing, Captain."

"Hey, now, I thought we already discussed how I feel about you lying to me, young man." Nathan made his voice sound stern, knowing the boy would be thinking clearly of another talk they had had recently. Lucas had brazenly lied to him about something and was caught. Nathan had made it perfectly clear to the 15 year old boy that lying was something he would not tolerate under any circumstances. It might have even involved a threat to his person which, of course, Nathan hadn't intended on keeping, but the kid didn't know that. However, Nathan did feel that strongly about honesty. He didn't put it past himself to follow through on his threat if the teenager pushed him too far. He did not appreciate being lied to by anyone, most especially a cocky, bull-headed teenage boy. Nathan felt his conscience prick him slightly when he remembered his harsh words to the teenager. He hadn't intended to be as stern, but the words had just slipped from his lips before he had a chance to think. It was Lucas' flippant attitude that had seemed to flip his parental switch on high. Lucas' insolence and Nathan's response to it had come as a complete shock to both of them.

Lucas' eyes widened. "No, sir…uh, I mean yes, sir, you did."

Nathan had to bite back a smile this time as he watched the youth squirm under his scrutiny. He felt certain his little threat had registered well with the boy, and he obviously hadn't forgotten their little chat. _Good,_ thought Nathan, _I'd rather be stern from the get-go then have to deal with something bigger later on with the kid._ Nathan had his own memories of all the shenanigans his son, Robert, had managed to get into when he was teenager, and Nathan felt far too weary in his olden days to deal with it again. _An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure._ Nathan could count on one hand how many times he'd had to lay down the law with Robert and even less times where he'd actually felt forced to be more hands on to make a big impression. He didn't relish having to travel that road with Lucas.

"Well, are you going to tell me what's wrong then?"

Lucas fiddled with the can in his hands a moment then cracked it open. His face still looked glum and downcast. Nathan squint an eye at Lucas in anticipation of finding out something he wasn't going to like very much.

"Do you want me to leave, Captain? I mean if I'm bothering you when you have stuff to do, I can go to my own quarters." Nathan saw the earnest look in the blue eyes of his young charge. _Nice try at changing the topic, kiddo. You're hedging._

Nathan looked at him incredulously. "Lucas, you're welcome in my quarters anytime. My door is always open to you, you know that." Lucas nodded sullenly. "I'm not going to force you to tell me what's wrong, but don't lie to me and saying nothing is bothering you when it's plain as the nose on your face that something is wrong."

"I'm sorry, Captain."

Nathan took another drink of his tea. He stretched out his legs and put his feet up on the stool. He glanced at the clock on his wall. It was nearly 02:00 hours which meant he felt like he needed a nap. He leaned his head back shutting his eyes, momentarily reflecting on what he would be doing if he was back on his island in the Yucatan. What he wouldn't have given to be swimming with Darwin. Perhaps he was due for some shore leave soon. Maybe that was what Lucas needed as well. Living and working on a submarine could wreak havoc with your emotions sometimes. The lack of vitamin D and sunshine could deplete your joy if one wasn't careful. Suddenly Nathan thought of something that had escaped his mind before.

"I thought you were going Upworld with Ben and Miguel today." Nathan was startled to see Lucas flinch at the topic.

"Yah, we went up, but I came back early."

"How come?"

Lucas shrugged. "I dunno."

Nathan frowned at the cryptic answers he was getting from the boy. He didn't remember it being this difficult when Robert was a child. Of course, it had been a long time ago so his memory could be doing him a disservice.

"Lucas, did something happen Upworld? Are Ben and Miguel back yet?"

"Nothing happened, Captain. Ben and Miguel are still gone. They met some girls, and I was just a third wheel. I did them a favour leaving."

"I see." Nathan eyed Lucas closely, trying to gauge him. "Did they tell you you were a third wheel?"

"No. But it's not hard to figure out. If I was them, I wouldn't want some dumb kid tagging along when I'm trying to make out with a girl." Nathan bit his tongue to stifle a laugh. Lucas was never one to mince words. He usually said things how he saw them.

"I'm sure they didn't see you as a third wheel, Lucas. They invited you, remember? No one forced them to take you on their shore leave."

"Yah, well, I'm pretty sure it was out of pity or something."

Nathan frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"No reason." Lucas moaned and tossed his head back against the sofa. Nathan chewed the inside of his lip pensively, trying to figure out how to proceed. It was becoming more and more blatant that something was eating at the kid, but he wasn't sure pushing things would be the answer. He thought maybe it was more sensible to change the subject. The boy didn't seem to want to leave the room, so perhaps he was just looking for a distraction and some camaraderie.

"Kristin tells me that Darwin has been cooperating well with you and that you've created a whole new vocabulary for him. She said that the two of you just ascertained some brand new grants."

Lucas nodded with his usual lopsided grin. "Yes, I'm really glad he stopped teasing me. Captain, he can be so infuriating when he takes the notion to be mischievous."

"Sounds like someone else I know and love." Nathan winked at boy as Lucas threw him a dirty look. "Well, if the shoe fits?" teased Nathan.

Lucas shifted his body sideways until he was lying down on the sofa. He put his hands behind his head and rested his shoe-clad feet on the arm. Nathan smirked at the way Lucas could kick back and relax around him now. The boy had all but tossed away his cocky demeanor that had inundated him in the beginning. The kid had some abandonment and trust issues, thanks to his negligent parents, but Nathan hoped to help mend Lucas' heart in time. It warmed his heart to see the boy so at home with him now. Every child needed to have a place to just kick back and be themselves without constant fear of reprimand. Nathan wanted to give Lucas that safe place.

"My shoes are getting a little tight, sir."

Nathan chuckled at Lucas' off the cuff response. It never failed to amaze him how Lucas could spiral a conversation in a completely different direction without even batting an eyelash. "I guess we should get Upworld and take you shopping soon."

"You don't have to do that, Captain. My mom sends stuff now and then. I'm sure she will send some shoes in the next care package."

"Does she know what size you are?"

"Heck, no. She still thinks I wear a size 7. I haven't worn that since I was 11."

"Well, then, how will her sending shoes help?"

"Oh, I just give them to Ben and he exchanges them for something in my size. He is the procurement officer after all." Lucas' looked at Nathan with a whimsical expression.

"True enough." Nathan wiggled his toes in his shoes absentmindedly thinking about shoes. He hadn't given much thought to how Lucas procured the things he needed like shoes and even clothes for that matter. Nathan knew Lucas' mother sent him care packages every now and then, but he had no idea what she saw fit to send the teen.

"Is there anything in particular you need, Lucas. I have to admit I've never thought to ask you if you have everything you need. Like toothpaste and stuff like that."

"Ben gets me everything like that."

Nathan took another sip of his tea and made a mental note to thank Lt. Krieg for doing such a good job at procuring things. Nathan had a lot of respect for the young lieutenant. He had tucked Lucas under his wing like a kid brother. There were times when Nathan wanted to throttle them both when they got into mischief together, but Nathan couldn't help but appreciate how Ben took the time to play with Lucas. The youngster was on a submarine teeming with adults who took their jobs very seriously. Life could get pretty drab and boring for a kid, but Ben had enough fun-loving, mischief-maker in him to keep Lucas engaged. And when Ben was occupied, there was always Darwin. The dolphin was over the moon for Lucas. The two of them played for hours on end which also made Nathan feel much better about having Lucas on board. Lucas sighed and swung his leg over the back of the sofa which made Nathan laugh.

"Are you comfortable yet?"

Lucas' face reddened and he dropped his foot down. "Sorry," he muttered, sheepishly.

Nathan scratched his chin. "Kiddo, are you going to tell me what's bothering you or what? I mean, I don't mind making small talk. Heaven knows, I'm sick of doing paperwork, and I'm more than willing to sit and shoot the breeze all afternoon, but something tells me you have something you need to tell me. Am I right?"

Lucas pulled his arms out from behind his head, allowing it to drop down onto the back of the sofa. He pulled the sofa cushion over his head with a loud groan.

"I'm fine with small talk, Captain, if it's all the same to you."

"Well, I'm fine with that too, but somehow I think you'll feel better if you just spit it out and be done with it."

"You're gonna be mad," came Lucas' voice from under the pillow.

 _Bingo,_ thought Nathan, _now we're getting somewhere._

"Well, you won't know that for sure until you tell me."

"I don't have to tell you to know. I already know you're gonna be mad."

Nathan had to work really hard not to allow a smile to burst out across his face. The things Lucas said often made him laugh out loud and this comment was no different. _C'mon, kid, just spit it out. Heaven knows you'll feel better, and frankly, so will I. You're making me nervous._

"Try me, kiddo."

Lucas kept one hand over the pillow and moved the other towards his pocket slowly. He fished inside his pocket, hesitating momentarily.

"Promise me you won't freak out first," said the pillow-faced boy.

Nathan stood to his feet and removed the pillow gently, staring at him with compassion.

"Can you look at my face when you're talking to me? It's difficult to understand what you're saying through the sofa pillow."

Lucas blinked a few times at the bright light that hit his eyes once the pillow was removed. He sighed morosely and sat up, his hand still in his pocket. He chewed on his lip, looking very distraught.

"Promise you won't freak out?"

"Lucas, I can't promise you that I won't have a reaction. I'm human and that makes me susceptible to overreacting sometimes. But I promise you that I have your back. No matter what you tell me, it isn't going to change how I feel about you. Now do yourself a favour and spill the beans before they explode."

"It's not my back I'm worried about," mumbled Lucas causing Nathan to lift a brow in confusion.

Lucas groaned as he pulled a small baggie out of his pocket. Nathan's eyes grew large when he realised what he was seeing. He didn't even try to mask his shock. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and took the small baggie from Lucas' out-stretched hand. The boy immediately grabbed the sofa cushion and buried his face again. One look and a disgusted whiff of the substance told Nathan all he needed to know. Nathan tossed the baggie onto the coffee table and placed his hands on his hips, breathing evenly and forcing himself to remain calm. _Just breathe,_ thought Nathan, _slow even breaths. This isn't anything you can't handle. Stay calm. Statistics say that 95% of teens experiment with Marijuana. This is normal teen behaviour._ Nathan felt his blood pressure rising as he attempted to talk himself out of reacting harshly. A big part of him was just extremely disappointed in Lucas because he thought the boy had more common sense than that. Lucas was a highly intelligent kid. _Intelligence has nothing to do with maturity, Nathan._ Just how many times had his wife, Carol, reminded him of that with Robert?

Nathan sighed. "Where did you get it, Lucas?"

The pillow shifted over Lucas' face but he said nothing in response.

Nathan frowned. "How long have you had it?"

Again the pillow moved slightly but Nathan received no answers to his questions.

"How often have you used it?"

He heard Lucas moan miserably. More questions flooded his mind but Nathan stopped there. He was still waiting for the answer to his first question. It felt like the most important at the moment. He knew that it wasn't something Ben would procure for the miscreant. There would be hell to pay if any of his crew gave it to the teenager.

The pillow shifted around some more but still no response came forth. Nathan reached out and snatched the pillow away once again, tossing the bulky thing across the room. Lucas flinched and gaped at him. Nathan ignored the look of sorrow. He wanted some answers, and he wanted them now. He looked down at the sheepish boy who rolled over onto his side away from Nathan.

"Lucas?" Nathan used his firmest, captain voice. He could see the shoulders of the boy startle somewhat and droop. Nathan continued staring at the kid's back, waiting and hoping the boy would sit up and face the music. "That position isn't in your best interest right now." Nathan allowed the threat to linger in the air. Nathan bit back a smirk when he saw the teenager reach out his hand and pull the blanket from the edge of the sofa enough to cover his entire body.

"Nice attempt at hiding, kiddo. C'mon, sit up and let's talk about this."

"Small talk is more my forte, sir," came the muffled reply.

Nathan stifled a laugh at that remark before furrowing his brow and sitting down on the edge of the coffee table, beside the object of their contention. Lucas hated small talk more than doing a ship wide diagnostic which said a lot. Nathan picked up the bag and groaned. Nathan was struggling with how to even react. The more he looked at the weed, the more upset he became. What on earth would possess Lucas to even think of trying the stuff? It was just so unbelievable.

"Lucas, I need some answers, and burying your head in the sofa isn't going to make me or this go away." Nathan pulled the blanket off Lucas and nudged his shoulder firmly. "Sit up!"

Lucas groaned and sat up, looking completely miserable.

"Well? I'm waiting for some answers to my questions."

"I can't tell you where I got it," said Lucas, and then as almost an afterthought, he added, "sir." He rubbed his hands on his pant legs, looking anxious. Nathan looked at him austerely as he held up the offending bag in front of the boy's eyes. Guilt and remorse swam in his eyes. Nathan knew there was much to be said, and he was growing impatient waiting for the floodgates to open.

"Did you get it from a crew member on my boat?"

Lucas' eyes widened and he shook his head firmly. "No, sir."

Nathan dropped his shoulders in relief. He wasn't sure how he would have handled such an occurrence. The UEO didn't look kindly on the tarring and feathering of their employees. But if one of his crew had procured such a substance for the 15 year old boy, Nathan planned to kick some butt all the way to the brig.

"Well, I think you need to start talking, Lucas. Enough games."

"I'm not playing games. I just can't tell you, sir."

"Why not?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Captain, a person could end up with cement shoes if they divulge that kind of information."

"Lucas, don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?"

"No, sir."

Nathan felt his temper increasing as his stared at the plastic baggie in his hands. It didn't help that Lucas appeared so guilty and pathetic looking up at him.

"How many times, Lucas?"

Lucas looked at his hands sullenly. He looked up at the captain and shrugged his shoulders. His eyes spoke volumes but his lips said nothing. Nathan's hands dropped to his sides, and he tossed the baggie onto the coffee table once again.

"I'm trying hard to not lose my temper, Lucas, but you're really pressing your luck with me." Nathan glared at the teenager and strode across the room towards his desk. He felt frustrated enough to want to make a big impression on the kid. He had to remind himself to calm down and keep things in perspective. He stopped short of banging his fist on his desk as he crossed his arms to calm down. Getting upset and losing his cool wouldn't help the situation. Besides, a big part of Nathan felt extremely proud of the boy for coming clean before he was caught. And Nathan knew it wouldn't have been long before the boy was caught. It was certainly not something he could hide for long. There were far too many astute adults on board the submarine to hide such a thing for long. Someone was bound to notice.

"Would you believe I didn't try it at all?"

Nathan turned and looked at Lucas who was staring at him oddly.

"Yes, if you told me you didn't, I would believe your word. We already had a discussion about how I feel about honesty, and I'm sure you wouldn't wish to travel down that road with me." Nathan leaned against his desk with his hands behind him. He saw Lucas shake his head.

"How many times, son?"

Lucas raked a hand through his hair and sighed. "Only once."

"Okay," began Nathan, feeling like he had finally gotten somewhere. "Care to tell me about the experience?" Nathan continued to stare at Lucas, hoping to see some type of reaction to his question. Something that would give him some clue as to what the kid was thinking.

Lucas lay back again covering his face with his hands.

"Lucas, let me say this. You didn't have to come clean about this. You could have hidden it from me and never did it again, and I probably wouldn't have ever found out about it. So, I appreciate that you trust me enough to come clean."

Nathan pulled himself backwards to sit on his desk. He made himself look more relaxed. He really was impressed that Lucas had admitted what he'd done. Nathan had no idea what he was going to do about it, but he figured it would depend on how their conversation proceeded.

"However, had you continued to use it, I pretty much guarantee someone would have smelled it and you would have been caught. This may feel like a large submarine, but it's very small when it comes to scuttlebutt like this. Not to mention, your quarters is across the hall from mine. I actually surprised I didn't smell it."

"I'm not stupid, Captain."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I wouldn't have made it obvious."

"Lucas," scoffed Nathan, "That stuff smells like skunk weed before you smoke it. Once it's lit, it stinks to high heaven. I'm surprised the whole boat didn't fill with the odour just because of the nature of our ventilation system."

Lucas chewed the inside of his lip. "You'd be surprised how you can mask the smell if you're resourceful enough."

Nathan scratched his head. "You're gonna have to be resourceful, kiddo, once I tell Dr. Westphalen."

Lucas' eyes widened in horror. "D-do you HAVE to tell her?" His voice was almost a plaintive whine.

Nathan couldn't hold back his smirk. Then he chuckled and then the chuckle turned into a full on laugh. Lucas grimaced and didn't look amused at all. It struck Nathan as hilarious that Lucas was more afraid to tell Kristin than he had been to tell him. Nathan took several seconds to regain his composure before he spoke again.

"Well, in my day, my father would have flushed it down the toilet and be done with it. Unfortunately, when we're on a submarine hundreds of miles under the ocean, we can't do that, now can we?" Lucas shook his head and cast him a dejected look. Nathan saw the forlorn youth shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"Dr. Westphalen will have the means to depose of the substance responsibly."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. I'm never going to hear the end of it now, am I?"

Nathan laughed again. "No, you're probably not! And I have to admit that that in itself is almost certainly punishment enough." Nathan worked hard to look firmly at Lucas. He was having a hard time keeping a straight face when he thought of Kristin's face once she discovered this rare gem of a situation. "Of course, I'm not completely convinced yet it will be your only punishment."

Lucas groaned again, looking miserable. "Facing Dr. Westphalen is more than enough punishment, trust me. Captain, do you have any idea what she's gonna do to me?" Lucas' eyes were wide with dismay. "I didn't murder anyone, sir; I just smoked weed. I mean it's a natural grown plant, for Pete's sake."

Nathan crossed his arms. "You sure you want to play that game, Lucas? Do you want me to call the doctor to join in this conversation right now?" In actuality, Nathan knew exactly what Kristin was going to do to the teenager. Any lecture he gave the lad would pale in comparison. Being that she was a medical doctor, Lucas had a whole new educational experience coming his way. Nathan felt sure it would include a very lengthy dissertation.

Lucas held his hands up in submission. "Okay, Okay, it's a drug. Please don't call her. I'm not ready to face her yet." Lucas' shoulders drooped in despair. "Would it help if I told you I don't plan to ever do it again?"

"Yes, it would. I'm very happy to hear you say that." Nathan sighed once again and stood to his feet. "And I don't plan to tell the good doctor anything. You're going to do that yourself."

Lucas leaned forward and put his head on his knees dramatically. "You're killing me, Captain."

Nathan crossed the room and sat down beside the rueful teenager.

"Let's cut to the chase here, alright? We've tapped danced around things and frankly, I just want to hear the whole story."

Lucas didn't move but kept his head buried in his knees. He was holding his hands over his head and rubbing the base of his skull. Several seconds later, he sat up and looked at Nathan with a grimace.

"I was curious, Captain. I wanted to know what it was like. So I bought some and smoked it in the bathroom while the shower was running. I lit a bunch of scented candles to mask the smell. I only smoked one pipe full. It made me feel like…" Lucas paused momentarily. "Well, I don't know how it made me feel because I have nothing to compare it too, so I can't really explain it. But it was bizarre, and I didn't like it. My tongue felt thick, and I found myself sitting in the bathroom talking to the sink."

Nathan's mouth twitched slightly as he tried to bite back a smile that was pulling at his lips. The description was an honest one, Nathan felt sure of that. Lucas looked so distraught in his explanation that Nathan thought he should remain as serious as possible.

"It did make me feel really mellow, and after talking to my dad that day, I have to admit I liked that part of it." Lucas looked at Nathan with pitiful eyes. "My dad and I had a nasty argument and it kinda was what pushed me to finally try it. I've had the stuff for a couple months."

"It's tempting to do things to alter our reality when we're faced with tough situations. That's why so many people become substance abusers," said Nathan, hoping his words would burn in Lucas' mind.

Lucas nodded. "Yah, I get that. If I hadn't have had that stuff hiding in my sock drawer, I probably would have come and talked with you about it."

"I'm glad to hear it, Lucas. Talking about how you're feeling is much better than trying to mask it. Your troubles will still be there once the buzz wears off and in time, you'll only create new problems for yourself."

"I know." Lucas leaned back against the sofa and continued to look at Nathan quietly. "So what are you going to do to me, Captain?"

Nathan glanced up at the ceiling for a moment and then looked at the young man beside him.

"Well, that all depends on you, Lucas. Do I need to get heavy handed here in order to make sure that you'll never do this kind of thing again? Or have you learned your lesson?"

Lucas rose to his feet and walked across the room quietly. Nathan was surprised to see the boy so slow to answer his question. He thought the kid would quickly say he'd learned his lesson. He saw Lucas pick up the ship in a bottle that was sitting on his desk. Lucas peered at it thoughtfully before setting it down and looking at him.

"What if I said I might need extra incentive to not do it again? Would that make me a horrible person?"

Nathan's brows knitted together pensively. "No, it wouldn't make you a horrible person, Lucas. It makes you honest. Tell me, why do you think you need extra incentive?"

"Because, for one evening, I was able to completely forget what a jerk my dad is, and I just might be tempted to do that again."

Nathan stood up and walked over to Lucas, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the hurt expression in the boy's eyes. For the first time, Nathan understood the depths of despair the boy was feeling at being abandoned by his parents. Tears filled Lucas' eyes but he blinked them back.

"I don't think giving you an unpleasant incentive is going to change anything, Lucas, but if you think you need a few licks to help you grasp the gravity of this; I'll see what I can do." Nathan smirked as he said the words, having no intention of doing such a thing. He was hoping his words would lighten up the mood but instead, things felt even more intense. Nathan immediately regretted his words as he saw Lucas' shoulders droop and his chin drop to the floor.

"Lucas," exclaimed Nathan, "I'm kidding."

Lucas pulled away and looked at Nathan as tears escaped down his cheeks.

"For one evening, I completely forgot how awful I feel after I talk with my dad. Do you know how good that felt? It was amazing!" Lucas brushed some tears off his cheeks. "I hid the weed in the bottom of my drawer and, today, I pulled it out again because I had another fight with my dad, and I wanted to forget how terrible I feel. So, Captain, maybe you do need to give me some licks for real because I'm not positive that I'm not going to buy some again just to escape this numb feeling in the pit of my stomach. It might just be too much of a temptation." More tears cascaded down his cheeks as he looked intently at Nathan.

Nathan massaged the back of his neck, feeling the tension building. "Do you want to know what I think, Lucas?"

Lucas set his mouth in a hard line and huffed out a weary breath. "Ok."

Nathan stood directly in front of Lucas, almost breaking the rules for personal body space. "I think that you won't give in to that temptation, and you wanna know why I think that?"

"Why?"

"For the very fact that you're standing here facing the music right now rather than hiding somewhere and smoking that crap. You're a bright kid, Lucas, and I have a lot of respect for you." Nathan reached out and pulled the teen boy into an embrace. "I'm proud of you, kiddo."

Lucas melted into the embrace, allowing more tears to fall silently down his cheeks. Nathan felt the warm tears dampen his sleeve. His heart ached that the boy was hurting so much. It always seemed to come down to this with Lucas. His parents were such idiots. All the kid wanted was to be loved by his parents. It made Nathan angry when he dwelled on it too much.

After several minutes, Lucas began to squirm and Nathan released him. Lucas' face was red but some of the spark was back in his eyes.

"I guess I should have come and talk with you in the first place, huh?"

Nathan smiled warmly and put his arm around the youth, pulling him into a playful headlock. Lucas laughed and struggled to get away but Nathan held firmly for several seconds while rubbing his knuckles against the kid's head.

"You think?"

Lucas managed to escape Nathan's grasp and made a face at him while he attempted to straighten his wild mop of blond hair.

"Lucas, you can talk to me about anything." Nathan poked Lucas on the chest pointedly. "Hey, I get it; I'm an old goat, and I'm not always fun to talk with, but I'm always here. Got it?" Lucas nodded and a look of relief flooded his features. "Feeling less burdened?" asked Nathan, seeing the respite in the boy's features.

"Majorly. My heart can't take hiding serious stuff like this." Lucas walked across the room and picked up the baggie of weed. "This little package caused me a lot of misery. I was a nervous wreck just waiting for you to find it."

Nathan chuckled. "I'm sure." Nathan was glad he hadn't accidently found the drugs in Lucas' room. He felt fairly sure he wouldn't have handled things as well. He was glad that Lucas had made the choice to come to him and come clean. Plus, now Nathan knew that the kid was having arguments with his father. He made a mental note to speak to Lucas more about the conversations with his dad. Perhaps he would be able to help the discussions go a little more smoothly in the future or, at the very least, be a sounding board for Lucas the next time his father decided to call.

Nathan took the baggie and looked at it. "Well, Lucas, I think it's time to go and have a little chat with the doctor."

The colour drained from Lucas' face as his lips pressed together in sheer torment. The look on his face was priceless, and Nathan wished he could take a picture for posterity. Nathan reached out and put a comforting arm across the teenager's boney shoulders.

"I'll tell you what, I will come with you and try to keep the red-headed vixen from eating you alive. How does that sound?"

Lucas 'mouth twitched solemnly. "Alright. Might as well as get this over with. Telling you seems like a piece of cake compared to her. I am never going to hear the end of this."

Nathan laughed as he pulled the youth closer. They both headed towards the hatch of Nathan's quarters arm in arm. Nathan felt his heart grow warm inside. Lucas was going to figure this stuff out in time. Nathan felt confident that Lucas wouldn't repeat the same mistakes. The boy was far too intelligent. And Nathan planned to pay closer attention to the youth to make sure of it.

"Oh, her bark is much worse than her bite, Lucas. C'mon, kiddo. And since I already lost my momentum for paperwork, after Kristin is done with you, why don't the two of us play with Darwin for a while?"

A grin broke out across the boy's face. "Sounds awesome."

Nathan clapped Lucas on the back, and the two of them left his quarters in search of the doctor.


End file.
